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Numbered Discourses · AN 3.2

  • Numbered Discourses 3.2Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.2
  • 1. Fools1. Bālavagga

CharacteristicsLakkhaṇasutta

“A fool is characterized by their deeds, and an astute person is characterized by their deeds, for wisdom shines in its traces.“Kammalakkhaṇo, bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhaṇo paṇḍito, apadānasobhanī paññāti. A fool is known by three things.Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo. What three?Katamehi tīhi? Bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.Kāyaduccaritena, vacīduccaritena, manoduccaritena.

These are the three things by which a fool is known.Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo.

An astute person is known by three things.Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato paṇḍito veditabbo. What three?Katamehi tīhi? Good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.Kāyasucaritena, vacīsucaritena, manosucaritena.

These are the three things by which an astute person is known.Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato paṇḍito veditabbo.

So you should train like this:Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘We will shun the three things by which a fool is known, and we will proceed having undertaken the three things by which an astute person is known.’‘yehi tīhi dhammehi samannāgato bālo veditabbo te tayo dhamme abhinivajjetvā, yehi tīhi dhammehi samannāgato paṇḍito veditabbo te tayo dhamme samādāya vattissāmā’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. AN 3.8 Hurtful 0.88near 0.1Numbered Discourses 3.8 1. Fools Hurtful “A fool is known by three things. What three? Hurtful deeds by way of body, speech, and mind. … An astute person is known by kind deeds by way of body, speech, and mind. These are…
  2. AN 3.7 Blameworthy 0.83near 0.1Numbered Discourses 3.7 1. Fools Blameworthy “A fool is known by three things. What three? Blameworthy deeds by way of body, speech, and mind. … An astute person is known by blameless deeds by way of body, speech, and mi…
  3. AN 3.6 Unskillful 0.81near 0.1Numbered Discourses 3.6 1. Fools Unskillful “A fool is known by three things. What three? Unskillful deeds by way of body, speech, and mind. These are the three things by which a fool is known. An astute person is known…
  4. AN 3.3 Thinking 0.76near 0.1Numbered Discourses 3.3 1. Fools Thinking “There are these three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of a fool. What three? A fool thinks poorly, speaks poorly, and acts poorly. If a fool didn’t think poorly, spea…
  5. AN 3.4 Mistakes 0.74near 0.1Numbered Discourses 3.4 1. Fools Mistakes “A fool is known by three things. What three? They don’t recognize when they’ve made a mistake. When they do recognize it they don’t deal with it properly. And when someone else…